Quando Viene Dicembre
by Suicidal Muffin-chan
Summary: An old story I rediscovered yesterday. Songfic, based on "Once Upon a December." Past Cloud/Squall? OHMYGODS, SEQUEL POSTED AS CHAPTER 2. AND IT'S CLEON !
1. Chapter 1

While I was cleaning up the wreck my burglars had created, I found a stack of old papers. I wrote this story last November, I think, with the intention of posting it for the holidays, but I lost it. So, half a year later, here it is.

PS: I got a new laptop. It's amazing.

**Allergy Information****:** I don't see anything at all worth a warning.

* * *

"Wow, Cloud, look at this!" The ever-hyperactive ninja Yuffie led me into a massive, extravagant room. "What do you think it is?"

_Dancing bears, painted wings  
Things I almost remember_

"It's a ballroom," I breathed. I hadn't been here since… since… when had I ever been here?

"Cloud? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's nothing. This all just seems very familiar." I know I've been here before…

"I'm going to scout out the rest of the building," Yuffie announced.

"I'll be there in a second."

I walked along the edges of the room, my fingers tracing the smooth walls. Closing my eyes, I could nearly visualize a crowd of people dressed in fancy, expensive dresses and military uniforms.

Where had I seen that uniform before?

Because my eyes were closed, I ran into a seemingly out-of-place recording machine. It fell over, and the tape crashed out of it and to the floor. I kneeled, picked it up, and replaced it. Curiously, I pressed play.

_And a song someone sings  
Once upon a December_

Orchestral music filled blared from the speakers. A waltz. I stood and began to dance on impulse. I could almost feel a hand in mine, an arm around my waist…

_Someone holds me safe and warm  
Horses prance through a silver storm  
Figures dancing gracefully  
Across my memory_

Sleek brown hair, steel-grey eyes, deep tan skin stretched taut over muscle…

"Squall," I whispered. I had no idea from what recesses of my memory the name had come, but as soon as it left my lips I knew it was right.

"Cloud." Leon peeked from the balcony. "Let's get going."

"Oh. Right." I turned off the music to join Leon on the balcony. The sun was just beginning to set, casting a soft golden glow over the lush garden. "Hey, Leon, do you have a brother?"

"No. Why?"

"Nothing. You just remind me of someone I used to know."

"Who?"

"I don't remember much. His name was Squall."

Leon simply smirked mysteriously.

_And a song someone sings  
Once upon a December

* * *

_

As always reviews/favourites are welcomed!


	2. Chapter 2

OHMYGOSH. Like, this entire thing is Evil Jenyus's doing. Seriously. I hadn't actually planned on a sequel, so that's her idea. Plus, she did me the huuuuuuuuuge favour of **beta-ing this entire sequel. **

I know you all are going, "Sequel? Then why is it a chapter?" Well, dear readers, the explanation is simple: I'M LAZY. Hahaha, so, yeah. Good times.

**Allergy Information****: **Um... I would love to be able to tell you that... 'cept I wrote this last night and I can't remember. Haha. Have fun.

* * *

Carrying a large stack of boxes to the main computer room, I hummed to myself. No one was around (or I doubt I would have been humming) and I was in quite a good mood; since the large-scale Heartless attacks had receded and monsters were few and far between, everyone had been focusing largely on restoring our home. Leon had become more personable toward me— something I couldn't conceal my happiness over— and it felt like things were beginning to return to normal. All except for one thing: my memories.

They were gone.

Merlin said to not expect to ever remember things from before the Invasion. In a way, he was wrong on that; I remembered _some_ things— fleeting glimpses of the past: deep grey eyes, a low chuckle, occasionally a few softly murmured words— just not anything that truly…mattered.

I shook my head. Today was a good day. Things were finally going right in the world, and I was going to sit around moping? Nope. Not happening.

Let's not forget that I was hauling an armful of boxes throughout the entirety of this revelation, and because I'm just so attentive and graceful, I went crashing to the ground. Those uneven stones were out to get me.

"Fuck," I murmured. Leon would not be happy. I had a feeling I was transporting computer equipment of some sort (why else would I be delivering them to the computer room?), and Leon was definitely serious about his computers.

"Cloud? Are you okay?" Speak of the devil…

I sat up and rubbed my head absently. I guess I had kind of hit it when I fell. "Yeah, I think I'm okay…"

"What happened?"

"_What happened?"_

"_I… tripped." I blushed. It was hard to compose yourself when you'd fallen flat on your ass in front of the love of your life._

_Squall— at least, I'm guessing that's who he was; all I could make out was a broad shadow and the garbled memory of a voice— chuckled. "Klutz."_

"Cloud!"

"A-ah! Sorry, I— I guess I kind of spaced…" I guess I'd hit my head harder than I initially thought. I held out my hand. "Help me up."

Leon pulled me to my feet. Once I was standing, I surveyed the damage: outwardly, it didn't seem like anything was broken, but—you know, it's an awful lot easier to check out boxes when the floor isn't moving so terribly much.

"You're bleeding," I remember Leon telling me. I think he was sort of panicking.

The last thing I remember before I passed out was saying something along the lines of, "That explains it."

--andtheywritebooksaboutthissortofthing—

I woke up later in the room I shared with Leon. He was conversing with Merlin, but I was too disoriented to focus on what they were saying. I caught on that they were talking about me, and my memories (or lack thereof) but I didn't understand much else for a while.

The last thing Leon asked Merlin was, "Will he be alright?"

"I don't know, Leon… The barrier his mind had built against his memories is broken. He could start to remember, but… more likely is that the rest of his mind will break down, as well."

Leon sighed. I think. "Thank you, Merlin."

Merlin left. Since I was the only other thing in the room for Leon to observe, and I really didn't feel like facing him at that moment, I pretended to still be unconscious. He watched me for a while, and I think he figured out I was actually awake, but he didn't say anything. An hour later, he left and I felt myself falling back asleep.

"_Squall," I murmured sleepily. "Where are you?"_

_He laughed. "I'm right here, babe. Calm down."_

_I reached out for him in the darkness, and my cold, grappling fingers met his warm and muscular arm. His muscles flexed as he shifted closer to me, and I hummed happily. _

"_What are you humming?" he asked. I could feel his bemused smile._

"_That song you taught me," I whispered back. So what if it was a slightly girly and romantic notion? I couldn't help but remember everything when he sang it to me._

"_Far away," he sang in a hushed voice. "Long ago, glowing dim as an ember…"_

I woke up with a start. Something about his face…

**Whose face?**

I don't remember… And that song…

**What song?**

The one he taught me.

**Who?**

Squall.

**Who's Squall?**

I don't remember…

Although I was distinctly unsettled, maybe even slightly frightened, I found my eyes drifting shut again. I sank back into sleep.

_Squall was next to me. I reached for his hand to offer my comfort; he pulled away. He was crying. He hated when I saw him crying; he said it was his duty to be strong. Not mine. Never would he let me comfort him._

_Rinoa had died. She was practically his sister. I'd heard that they were lovers a long time ago—before I knew him, I was assured by numerous people—but I thought of them as relatives. She was a sweet girl, but not someone I could picture Squall dating._

"_Squall…" I reached for him again, and this time he didn't resist me. I drew him into a hug, and as I held him I could almost feel something in him break. When I pulled away—with every intention to question him on what was wrong—his eyes had hardened. _

"_I'm not Squall anymore," he told me in a decisive voice. "I'm Leon now."_

_I didn't tell him that a name wasn't who he was. Nor did I tell him that no one was blaming him for her mysterious illness. If it helped him to cope, I wasn't going to fight it._

Oh my gods. I could remember it now. The plague… so many of our friends died. And then the endless rain. Squall… and then… the Heartless Invasion. We were already breaking; it wasn't hard for the Heartless to take over. So the rest of us ran.

**To where?**

Different places. Traverse Town, for most of us.

**Where did you go?**

Sand. Columns. A tournament. The Coliseum?

And Squall… he wasn't Squall.

**Then who was he?**

"Leon!" I was suddenly upright in my bed; the room was spinning, but I didn't care. I thought I had lost my memories. I thought I had lost Squall. How had I been so blind? He was beside me the entire time!

"Cloud…?" He sounded half-asleep. I guess I woke him. Regardless, the next thing I knew he was standing beside my bed. "Cloud, are you alright?"

"You… why didn't you say anything?"

"When?"

"At the palace! When I told you about Squall! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you _what_, Cloud?" Ooh, he was sounding irritated now.

"That you're him!"

Leon stared at me for a while. Finally, he sighed and sat beside me."What all do you remember?" he asked. I guess he was afraid to hope for too much.

"Different things. You, mostly."

"What about me?"

"Well, for one, why didn't you ever tell me we were lovers?" I accused. "How could you just let that go? You—you jerk!"

"I didn't think you would believe me," Leon stated, lying down. I followed suit. "Merlin said you'd never remember Squall. And you seemed happy here."

I swallowed harshly and closed my eyes in a vain attempt to hold back tears. The emotion in his voice was making _me_ feel like crying. "I love you, Squall."

"I love you, too, Cloud." He tilted my chin up toward him. We were both leaning in, even as I trembled and he shook. Our lips met, and I remembered everything I hadn't already recalled: the Invasion itself; running; Squall—now Leon—shoving me into a ship and telling me not to look back. The salty water that had been accumulating in my eyes now spilled onto my cheeks; I found reality in my grip on Leon's shirt.

The kiss didn't last nearly long enough. Leon pulled away to wipe the tears from my face. I stared at his concerned grey eyes; _definitely_ Squall, I decided.

"Why are you crying?" he whispered.

"I missed you," I answered.

He wrapped his arms around me; I curled into him. His muscular arms held me close to his chest.

I was almost asleep when I heard him begin to sing to me for the first time in years.

"Dancing bears, painted wings…"

I snuggled closer into him with a soft smile. Likewise, for the first time in years, I slept without waking from dreams I couldn't remember.


End file.
